Finding a Dream
by Findingmyownself
Summary: Kimiko has lost her interest in tennis. What happens when she is assigned to write about Seigaku's Tennis Team for the whole semester? Echizen RyomaxOC
1. Press Club

__**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'Prince of Tennis', but I guess you knew that already.__

_There won't be too much romance at first, because I consider them to be a little young... And I'd like to keep Ryoma in character as much as possible._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Press Club<strong>

"Now, who wants to be in charge of covering the news about the Tennis club?" asked the president of the Press Club. He was a clumsy guy and rather dishevelled looking. He lacked most of the traits required for leadership, but he made up for them with his friendly and cheerful personality. He looked around the room through his oversized round glasses, taking in the scene before him.

The room assigned to the club was fairly big. There were more than enough desks for the almost forty members, about ten computers settled at the back, and a large marker board at the front. The president stood in front of the whole club members, while they listened to him from their desks.

Dozens of hands raised in the air at the president's question, and the room was filled with female voices yearning for his attention. "Etto..." he said nervously, while scratching the back of his neck, "does any of you know how to play?"

"I believe, Atobe Kimiko-san was part of the tennis club last year, Satou-buchou", said a serious looking guy while adjusting his glasses, his eyes never leaving the screen of his laptop. He was the vice-president, but everyone knew he was the mastermind behind all the club's activities. Everyone's attention turned to the mentioned girl. Her head rested on her desk, using her arms as a pillow. Her ash brown hair covered most of her face, and her body moved slowly to the rhythm of her steady breathing.

"Why do we need to know how to play? We'll only be writing about the matches!" complained a short brunette girl.

"Well... I just thought it'd be easier to understand and to write the players' feelings during a match that way..." explained the president shyly.

"Then, I'll do it!" a female first year said cheerfully. "I used to play back in elementary school!".

"I know how to play, too! My brother taught last summer!" exclaimed a sophomore girl, and many other club members followed her example.

"Silence," said the vice-president in a deep firm voice, and the whole club did obeyed. "I would have liked to have a man in charge, but seeing as they are all busy already, I think the best option would still be Atobe-san"

"Ano... Okazaki-san, don't you think it'd be better to decide by draw?" asked the president.

"Seishun Gakuen is known for its Tennis Club, and there's a high chance of them going to the Nationals this year. The person in charge should by no means get distracted by the players," explained Okazaki Ryusei, finally looking up from his computer.

"Fan girls are so annoying!" complained a sophomore guy, and the rest of the male members agreed.

"It's decided, then," the vice-president, without waiting for anyone's approval. "Miss Atobe-san is assigned to write about the Tennis Club". Everyone looked towards said girl, to find her still sound asleep.

"Ano, Atobe-san..." the president called her, and she finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Aa, Satou-Buchou. Is the meeting over?" she asked softly, while rubbing her eyes. "No, we've just decided you'll be the one to write about the tennis club this term".

"Yada", the sophomore girl said quietly and closed her eyes again.

"C'mon, Atobe, I heard they are all really hot!" said one of the guys teasingly. "Perhaps you'd be more girly if you got a boyfriend!"

"ZETTAI YADA!"

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice", Okazaki announced. "Unless you want everyone to find out about that little secret of yours..." The girl paled and nodded reluctantly. Okazaki-fukubuchou was definitely someone to fear.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Kimiko decided to visit the courts and start her research on the Tennis Club. The term had just started, so the ranking matches would bound to be held soon. The year before she had joined the club and became a regular, but the Female Tennis Club was weak. And she had decided that tennis wasn't her thing, anyway.<p>

The courts were almost empty. Three freshmen were playing some kind of game, trying to hit a can from the other side of the net, while another freshman and a couple of juniors watched. When the last of the first years served his last ball, he hit the can but it didn't fall. _'So there's something inside that can...'_ thought Kimiko.

"Too bad", said one of the juniors. She recognised him as Arai Masashi.

"It was difficult after all", exclaimed the freshman, ashamed. "So, the try-out fee was 200 yen. Here". The three first years handed the junior two coins each.

"Huh? Maybe you guys misunderstood," said the other junior, Ikeda Masaya.

"'_Knock the can down_' serve game. 500 yen per ball. 200 yen try-out fee extra," Arai informed. "Together, it's 5,200 yen per person".

"No way!" exclaimed the shortest of the freshmen.

"We don't have that kind of money"

"Just blame your bad skills," said Ikeda. '_That's so not fair..._' thought Kimiko and sighed in frustration, and hesitated whether she should do something about it.

"Hey, shorty over there, you should try it too," said Arai towards the first year that had been watching all along.

"Don't think you can just save yourself," added Ikeda.

"Sure, I'll do it," replied the freshman. His classmates tried to stop him, but he ignored them. "You can't knock it down if you go directly at the can. There are rocks in there, right?"

He served the ball and knocked the can. "Awesome, he hit the top of the can with pinpoint accuracy", said another freshman. The can fell, revealing the rocks that were inside. "Ahhh, the sempai-tachi are cheating! That's so dirty!"

"Not bad, eh..." a voice startled Kimiko. One of her classmates was now standing beside her.

"Aa, Momoshiro-san, konnichiwa," she greeted him. They had been in the same class for over a year now, but they had never exchanged a word. He was rather tall and Kimiko barely reached his shoulder. His dark hair was short and spikey, and his purple eyes watched scene before him in amusement.

"Konnichiwa," he said back with a relaxed smile. The freshman kept on hitting the can, shocking everyone.

"If I hit it 100 times, are you going to give me 1,000,000 yen?" he asked his sempai-tachi.

"Pff, so cocky," chuckled Kimiko. "He's good"

Momoshiro agreed, and started walking inside the courts. "We can't have him thinking that all his sempai-tachi are useless, can we?" he said and served a ball, denting the can.

"Oh, I hit it. Lucky!" said Momoshiro cheerfully. "Hey, Arai, just because the seniors aren't here doesn't mean you can bully the new freshmen".

"Momo, something came up, so I'm leaving first... Later," replied Arai, walking out of the court quickly, followed by Ikeda. The freshman was about to leave as well, but Momoshiro stopped him. "Hey, who said you can go?"

Just then, two first year girls followed by a young woman and a man in his thirties, walked towards them.

"It's you, Ryoma-kun!" exclaimed one of the girls, staring at the freshman next to Momoshiro. She wore her hair in two long braids, and she was wearing Seigaku's uniform as well as the girl beside her.

"Kakkoii," said the other girl, blushing slightly, and looking at 'Ryoma'. "Sakuno, who is it? Introduce him."

"Oh, this is Echizen Ryoma-kun," replied 'Sakuno'.

"Echizen... Ryoma," the man behind them wondered out loud. He wore a light yellow shirt and a red tie, and carried a bag on his shoulder.

"Heh, so you are Echizen Ryoma. Much smaller than I thought..." said Momoshiro.

"Who are you?" Echizen asked him.

"Sophomore Momoshiro Takeshi. I heard from the grandma couch that you can use the Twist Serve".

"What about it?" said Ryoma.

"I'll crush you," challenged Momoshiro, and soon they were playing against each other. The junior let his kouhai serve and stood at the other side of the court, eager to see the Twist Serve. A freshman wearing a bright green shirt asked to be the chair umpire, and the match began.

"Fault," the fresman anounced when Ryoma tried serving normally.

"I don't wan't slice serves. Don't hold out on me," said Momoshiro.

"Yada," replied Echizen.

"Arrogant brat"

This time, Ryoma served and Momoshiro's racket flew out of his hand when he tried to return it.

"I can't believe a junior high student can use that serve," said the man in amazement. Kimiko smirked.

"This is getting interesting," she said out loud, but mostly to herself.

"Ryoma-sama is getting cooler by the minute!" exclaimed Sakuno's friend, excited.

"Kowai, kowai. Caught me off guard," said Momoshiro in high spirits.

"Daijobu?" asked Ryoma, a smirk plastered on his face. "You're sweating"

"Bastard," said the junior, and the match continued.

"Those eyes," said the man, looking at Ryoma through his camera. "That boy... Echizen Ryoma... is Echizen Nanjirou's..."

Kimiko looked up to him in confusion. '_What is he talking about?_' she wondered. But she didn't have the chance to ask him, since everyone gasped in surprise. She looked back to the match in front of her, and saw that Echizen had changed his racket to his left hand. He was about to serve again, but Momoshiro stopped him.

"I quit. It's over. I'll let you go now", announced the junior, surprising everyone.

"Excuse me, sir," said Kimiko to the still unknown man that had been watching the match. "Sophomore Atobe Kimiko desu. Who might you be?"

"Aa, I'm sorry. I'm Inoue, a reporter from Monthly Pro Tennis. Yoroshiku. Do you happen to be a player?" the man replied. She shook her head.

"Yoroshiku onegashimazu. I'm from the Press Club, I'll be writing about the Tennis Club this term," she explained.

"I guess we'll be seeing each other quite often then, Atobe-san," he said with a smile. She smiled as well and nodded.

"Inoue-san, I was wondering about something you said earlier... Who is Echizen Nanjirou?" she asked curiously.

"He was a great player. He could have probably been the best in the world, but he retired when he was very young," the reporter explained. These words piqued her interest.

"Why did he retire?" she asked. "Is he related to Ryoma?"

"Nobody knows... He suddenly disappeared one day," he said. "And I have a feeling that Ryoma might be his son".

"I see. Thank you very much for your time, Inoue-san"

"It was my pleasure", the reporter said. Then, he took a magazine out from his bag and handed it to the girl. "Here. I've written an article about Echizen Nanjirou on this month's edition".

"Oh, I can't accept it, I'll buy it once it's on sale!" she said, but he insisted. "I really appreciate it, arigatou gozaimasu," she thanked him and bowed.

* * *

><p>"Echizen Nanjirou..." Kimiko read out loud. She had just arrived home and was looking forward to reading about the mysterious tennis player. A few minutes later she was already finished with the article. '<em>Was he really that good?'<em>, she wondered. She searched for some videos on the internet, but there were very few and their quality was quite poor. They were enough, however, for her to realize that Inoue-san had not being exaggerating when he described his amazing skills. '_So... What could have made him retire?_' she thought sadly.

* * *

><p>The following day, Kimiko went looking for the coach of the Tennis Club.<p>

"So you want permission to watch the practices?" asked Ryuzaki-sensei. "I don't see a problem with it. However, it's up to Tezuka to decide"

"I see," Kimiko said, and looked towards the captain.

"It's fine, as long as you don't disturb the players," replied Tezuka.

"I won't," she said with a small smile, and then bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu".

The stoic captain nodded his head and went back to his work. He still had to decide who would be playing on the ranking matches.

"I'll be going first," Kimiko announced and walked out of the classroom they were at.

"An interesting one, isn't she?" said Ryuzaki-sensei, once she was out of hearing range. Oishi agreed.

"I was afraid Tezuka would scare her away," he added.

"Perhaps she'll be able to warm his heart a bit," the coach joked. The captain just ignored them, causing them to stifle a laugh.

Meanwhile, at the tennis courts, the regulars had started their practice matches, while the rest of the club members were watching Arai picking a fight with Echizen. The freshman's racquets had 'disappeared' while he was running laps, and now he had to play the junior with an old deteriorated one.

'_What are you going to do now, Echizen_?' Kimiko wondered curiously.

The match started, and Arai served first. Ryoma tried returning it, but the stringing of the racquet was too loose to enable him to hit it properly, and the ball hit the net. Arai served again, and this time the freshman returned it with too much strength.

"Hmm, naruhodo ne," said Ryoma, inspecting the racquet in his hand.

"Fool, trying to be strong. But you have no chance in hell!" exclaimed the junior and served again. This time, Echizen returned it successfully.

'_Not bad, Echizen... putting spin by rotating your body_,' thought Kimiko. "Aa, Inoue-san!" she said outloud, realizing that the reporter was standing only a couple of meters away from her. He looked towards her and smiled.

"Atobe-san, Konnichiwa," he greeted her.

"Konnichiwa,"she said back. "Thank you for the magazine you gave me yesterday. The article about Echizen Nanjirou was really interesting".

"Aa, I'm glad you liked it. He was an amazing player..." said Inoue. "Echizen Ryoma seems very promising as well".

"Indeed," she agreed.

"Ok, my warm up is done," said Echizen.

"Ah, Echizen, a string is broken," said one of the freshman.

"Oh, no worries. We are going to finish this, sempai," announced Ryoma. '_As conceited as always_,' Kimiko found herself thinking with a smile.

"H-Hey, leave it. It's just a practice match..." said one of the juniors watching the match.

"Yada," replied Echizen, and he kept on playing until Oishi stopped them and make all the club members run laps.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Words in Japanese<em>**

_Etto... is like 'Let's see...' or 'Um...'_

_Ano - it's used to ask for someone's attention (in this case)._

_Buchou is the head, president or captain of a school's club._

_Fukubuchou is the vice-president of a school's club._

_Sempai - upperclassman_

_Sempai-tachi - plural of sempai_

_Yada - 'I don't want to do it'_

_Zettai yada - 'I definitely don't want to do it'_

_Konnichiwa - 'Hello'/'Good afternoon'_

_Kakkoi - cool_

_Kowai - scary or creepy_

_Daijobu? - in this case, 'Are you OK?'_

_Desu means "be". '(Watashi wa) Kimiko desu' is like 'I am Kimiko'_

_Yoroshiku (onegaishimazu) has many meanings depending on the context. In this case it's mostly a 'Nice to meet you', or 'please take care of me in the future'. It's more polite when onegaishimasu is added._

_Arigatou (gozaimasu) is a way of thanking someone. It's more polite when gozaimasu is added._

_Naruhodo - 'I see'_

**_Suffixes _**

_'-san' is the most polite of the three. It's mostly used for older people and equals._

_'-kun' is generally used for younger boys._

_'-chan' is generally used for younger girls or cute boys. _

* * *

><p><em>I couldn't help picturing Okazaki as OHSHC's Kyoya... <em>

_Anyway, thanks for reading! I'm not a native English speaker, so any piece of advice is welcomed._


	2. Ranking Matches

**Chapter 2: Ranking Matches**

'_Heh... He's even playing on the ranking matches_,' Kimiko thought while reading the notice board. The Tennis Club was filled with excitement and battle mood. The matches were about to begin, and girls from all years cheered for their favourite players. Even Echizen had his own fan club.

"Ryoma-sama! Ryoma-sama!" cheered a group of freshmen.

"You are too loud," commented Kimiko calmly, looking at her kouhai-tachi.

"Gomen nasai," apologized a girl with braided her bowing her head. The sophomore recognized her from the previous day. '_What was her name…?_'

"Iie, it's not your fault," she replied. "I'm Atobe Kimiko, from the Press Club. Do you play tennis?"

"Aa! Ryuzaki Sakuno desu," she introduced herself nervously. "H-hai, I've just joined the tennis club".

"Yoroshiku. Are you related to Ryuzaki-sensei?" asked the junior. "I hope I get to see you play someday".

"Hai, I'm her granddaughter," Sakuno answered.

"Are you cheering for Ryoma-sama, too?" a girl with two ponytails asked her sempai loudly.

"Not really," the junior replied, as Ryoma won his fourth game straight. "I've got to go watch the other matches as well. See you around".

* * *

><p>The former regulars were amazing, none of them were losing a game. The last match of the morning was finally over, and Kimiko decided to find a silent place to have lunch and take a short nap before going back to her work.<p>

'_So, Echizen is actually excited about his next match_,' she thought, when she found him hitting a ball against a wall. She kept walking until she found a tree, not too far from there. She sat under its shadow and took out her bento. She eat quickly and then fell asleep hearing the constant sound of the ball hitting the wall. She didn't know for how long she had been off when she heard voices.

"Your match is soon so... Ganbatte, ne!" said a feminine voice she recognized as Ryuzaki Sakuno's. Kimiko got up from her position to look at the two first years in curiosity. The girl blushed furiously and run away, leaving a confused Ryoma behind.

"Kawaii. Young love is so refreshing!" Kimiko said out loud, in an amused voice, confusing him even more. "Good luck in your match, Echizen," she added with a smile, and walked towards the tennis courts.

"Weird sempai..." said Echizen, under his breath.

* * *

><p>The match between Echizen and sophomore Kaidou Kaoru was about to start. It was bound to be an interesting one, a regular against the amazing freshman. The rest of the regulars were watching intently and the fans of both players cheered loudly. Even Inoue and his fellow reporter and assistant, Shiba, were looking forward to the results.<p>

Kaidou was an intriguing character, and perhaps a little scary, with his serious expression. He wore an orange bandana around his head, hiding most of his short black hair, and his dark green eyes scanned his opponent.

"Ano... Momoshiro-san," Kimiko called, approaching the regulars. "How do you think it'll turn out?"

"It's hard to know for sure..." he replied. The girl nodded her head in agreement.

"Konnichiwa, sempai-tachi," she told the tennis regulars with a smile, and was greeted back by them.

Echizen served first and they started rallying, until he hit a chord ball that Kaidou couldn't return.

"15-love," called the chair umpire. Ryoma served again. This time, the point was won by Kaidou, who performed his special technique. "15-all".

"That's Kaidou's 'Snake'," explained Momoshiro to three freshmen from the Tennis Club. Kimiko listened with interest.

"Do you mean his technique?" asked one of the freshmen from the tennis club, who were also watching the match with enthusiasm.

"Yes. Only someone who has a long reach like Kaidou can do that," Momoshiro continued. "Starting from the right leg and shifting his weight to the left side, he can hit it with an abnormal spin. His appearance is like a viper. He even stands like a snake".

Kimiko took a glance at Kaidou's strange pose and realized he was right. '_Not bad, Kaidou-san..._'

"Heh, returning it at that angle... Mada mada dane," said Echizen, changing his racquet to his left hand, finally getting serious about the match.

Kaidou used his Snake again and Echizen was able to return it, but was not fast enough to return the next shot.

"It's not good..." said the freshman to himself.

The match continued evenly, neither of them giving an inch. However, Echizen was sweating badly.

"Ahh... Echizen has fallen into Viper's trap," said Momoshiro. "To Viper, his snake is not just a technique".

"I see. He's making him run around to make him lose his stamina, right?" asked Kimiko.

"Yes... That's his strategy to exhaust his opponent," replied her classmate.

"Hmm. I think Echizen has seen through his plan as well," Kimiko said suddenly, without taking her from the match.

"Kaidou-sempai, you are sweating a lot," commented Ryoma. Kaidou was, indeed, starting to get tired. Echizen was hitting deep and low to the line, making Kaidou bend his knees and causing him to use two or three times more energy every time he returned the ball.

"The great Ryoma-sama is EXTRAORDINARY!" yelled a loud girl next to Sakuno. Both players were tired and it soon became an endurance match. None of them was able to win more than one game in a row.

"The snake... It's Buggy Whip Shot, ne?" said Echizen, hitting a Snake. "Kaidou-sempai, this is pretty complicated. Just recently by chance, I read an article that described this technique. I just tried it to see, but it's harder than it looks"

'_That guy is really something..._' thought Kimiko amused, as the chair umpire announced Echizen's victory.

* * *

><p>"Ne, Momoshiro-san," said Kimiko. "Are you busy right now?"<p>

"Eh! Momo-chan is going on a date?!" asked one of the senior regulars, while resting his arm on his kouhai's shoulder.

"E-eh? I-it's not like than, Eiji-sempai!" exclaimed Momoshiro, nervously.

"That's not what I meant, sempai. I was going to ask him a few things about tennis," explained the girl. "Dinner's on me if you help me. You can come to, sempai".

"Free dinner? I'm in, I'm in!" exclaimed Eiji cheerfully.

"Eiji-sempai! It's not good to let a girl pay," Momoshiro scolded him.

"Iee, it's alright, I insist," she assured them.

"So, what do you need help with... etto..." started asking the senior when they were seating at a burger shop.

"Aa, sumimasen. Atobe Kimiko desu, yoroshiku!" she introduced herself.

"I'm Kikumaru Eiji, but call me Eiji. Yoroshiku! Nya!" he replied, excited. Kimiko stifled a chuckle. '_Kawaii.._.' she thought to herself, and then explained him and Momoshiro how she was supposed to write about the tennis club.

"EHH? Tezuka-kun gave you permission to watch the practices?!" exclaimed Eiji, surprised.

"Hai. He didn't seem very happy about it, though," she replied with a laugh. "So, let me see if I remember it correctly. Kaidou-san's special technique is the 'Snake', Momoshiro-san's the Dunk Smash, Eiji-sempai is an Acrobatic Player, Inui-sempai plays Data Tennis, Fuji-sempai has his Triple Counter, Oishi-sempai uses his Moon Volley, Kawamura-sempai plays Power Tennis and has a different personality when he's holding a racquet, and Tezuka-sempai has his Tezuka Zone and his Zero Shiki Drop Shot". Both regulars nodded, and kept explaining her about the tournaments and other schools they would be facing.

* * *

><p>"Thank you very much for your help today," she said, once Momoshiro had finished his sixth and last burger.<p>

"Iie, thank you for the food!" replied Eiji, and his teammate agreed.

"Ja ne, Eiji-sempai, Momoshiro-san!" she bid them farewell.

"Ne, Atobe-san, call me Momo-chan! Momoshiro makes me feel old," he complained. Kimiko nodded and smiled.

"Good bye, Momo!"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kimiko woke up with her pet dog licking her face. She stretched her arm to pick up her alarm clock, and looked at the time. '<em>8:00<em>...' she read and she finally woke up completely. "I'm going to be late!" she screamed in frustration and put on her uniform quickly. Then, she rushed downstairs and ordered her driver to take her to school as fast as he could.

"You barely made it on time today, Kimiko-chan," commented her best friend when she got to the classroom.

"Ohayou, Chie-chan" the girl replied, ignoring her.

"Ohayou!" Hinamori Chie greeted her with a smile. Her black straight hair reached her waist, and her perfect fringe covered her forehead. Her big brown eyes were gentle, as she looked at her childhood friend. "How was it yesterday? Did you get to watch the matches?"

"Hai. It was alright, I guess. There are some very interesting players. However..." Kimiko's answer trailed off.

"You are still mad because they made you do this?" Chie asked, the worry for her friend evident in her voice.

"It's just that... I thought I could finally say goodbye to Tennis. But it keeps on coming back!" Kimiko said, sighing in frustration.

"Perhaps it's just not meant to leave your life..." her friend said thoughtfully. "But don't worry for now! Today there are no matches, right?"

"No, the remaining of the ranking matches will be held tomorrow".

* * *

><p>"Is it alright if we have lunch outside today? The weather is really nice today," Chie asked, once the morning classes were finished.<p>

"Sure, I don't mind," Kimiko replied. "Go ahead. I'll buy a drink and then I'll look for you," she added, and walked outside the classroom.

She was deciding on what to drink when she saw Sakuno in her tennis outfit, swinging her racquet. She smiled to herself, chose a can of soda and a bottle of water from the bending machine, and walked towards her kouhai.

"You are bending your knees too much," she said, making Sakuno turn around to face her.

"A-Aa! Atobe-sempai!" said Ryuzaki, surprised. Kimiko just smiled and kept on talking.

"And you're elbow is too relaxed," she said.

"Ah... Ryoma-kun said the same thing yesterday," her kouhai said sadly. "Sempai, do you play?"

"I used to... It's been quite a long time since I last played. Let's play together sometime", Kimiko replied. "U-Un!" agreed Sakuno, and then added thoughtfully "Ne, Atobe-sempai, do you think I should cut my hair, too?"

"Aa, I take it that's something Echizen told you as well?" Her kouhai nodded. "So tactless... Don't listen to him. You should wear your hair in a bun or a ponytail, though, so it won't get in the way".

"H-Hai!" Ryuzaki said, more animatedly. "Arigatou, Atobe-sempai!"

"You can call me Kimiko, you know?" the sophomore said. "I'll be going first, Sakuno-chan. Ja ne!"

"J-Ja ne, Kimiko-sempai".

"Aa, almost forgot!" the junior said, turning back and throwing the bottle of water to Sakuno, who caught it clumsily.

* * *

><p>"That took you quite a while," Chie said, once Kimiko had found her.<p>

"Gomen, Chie-chan. I found someone on my way here".

"Male or female?"

"Female. Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter. She's cute..." Kimiko answered, smiling.

"Speaking about cute things, Momoshiro-kun asked for you," Chie informed her.

"You find him cute?" Kimiko asked in astonishment.

"Well, he's quite easy on the eyes. But that's not the point. Apparently he found out that you played tennis and wants to have a match..."

Kimiko sighed. "How troublesome..." she said quietly.

"I think you should accept," Chie said, taking her friend off guard. "You really liked tennis back then... Deep down, don't you feel like playing again? It'd be a great chance for making new friends as well".

"I... I'll think about it," Kimiko said. Chie smiled and decided to say no more on that matter. Both of them eat their bentos in silence, deep in thought.

* * *

><p>"Ne, Atobe-san!" a loud voice called her when the classes were over for the day.<p>

"Momo, Konnichiwa," she said, turning around to face him. "Please, call me Kimiko, by the way"

"Konnichiwa, At-Kimiko-san!" he replied. "Say, will you play a match against me?"

"Alright," she said reluctantly, realizing Chie was probably right. "I don't have my racquet, or an appropriate outfit for that matter, though. Let's meet at the street's tennis courts at 7 pm. Is that alright?"

"Hai! See you there, Kimiko-san!"

"Ja, Momo."

"'Momo', eh?" questioned Chie once he couldn't listen to her anymore. "Aren't we being overly friendly..."

"He asked me to call him that..." Kimiko said, without giving it much importance.

"So, you are meeting him?" Chie asked and her friend nodded her head. "That's great. Have fun!"

"Arigatou," she thanked her friend with a half-smile.

* * *

><p>When Momoshiro arrived to the tennis courts that night, Kimiko was already there. She was wearing a really short tennis skirt, and a tight sleeveless work out shirt.<p>

"Hi, Momo," she greeted him warmly. Her classmate blushed lightly, taking in her outfit. She noticed and blushed a little as well. "Gomen, I haven't played tennis in a while, so I don't have larger clothes"

"I-It's alright," he stuttered looking at anything but her. "Shall we start?"

"Hai! Smooth or rough?"

"Smooth," replied Momoshiro, and the racquet landed on rough.

"I'll serve, then," she said, and took one of her balls. She stood at the end of the court, and stared at the boy at the other side. '_It's been so long..._' she thought and inhaled deeply to relax. She threw the ball in the air and hit it, but her serve didn't reach the other side of the net.

"Heh... It's heavier than I remembered. It seems I must have become weaker," she said, deep in thought, and tried serving again, this time with more power. The ball bounced in Momoshiro's court and he returned it easily. They rallied for a while, warming up and allowing Kimiko to get used to playing again, before the real game started. The game count was 2-2, and they were playing evenly, but Momo was using about 30% of his real strength, and had yet to use his Dunk Smash.

"Ne, Momo... Will you play me seriously?" Kimiko requested. The guy smirked and nodded.

"If that's what you want, I won't hold back anymore," he replied.

Momoshiro's shots were too powerful, and she was struggling to return them. He had easily taken two more games from her, and wasn't even sweating, while Kimiko looked exhausted. She had tried returning his Dunk Smash for the eighth time, and her racquet had fled from her hand once again. However, she looked far from discouraged.

"It's not over yet..." she said, a little out of breath but with determination.

It was her turn to serve, but her stance was completely different from before. This time, she did an underhand serve, letting the ball roll across the whole length of her racquet, before sending it to the other side of the court. Momoshiro run to return it, but the ball bounced toward Kimiko's side of the court, surprising him.

"Not bad, Kimiko-san!" he said.

"Iie, it's not perfect yet," she said with a soft smile. Momo managed to return her serve after two more tries, and they began rallying again. After a while, he sent a shot to the opposite side from where she was standing and she was barely able to return it as a lob. It was his chance to use his Dunk Smash again. Kimiko ran to fetch the ball and jumped, using her whole weight to return it. The ball hit the net, but it was already an improvement that he racquet hadn't been sent out flying. And Kimiko found herself wanting to try it returning his Dunk Smash again, so she lobbed the ball on the first opportunity she had. Momoshiro smirked at this, realizing her intentions, but used his best technique anyway.

'_I did it_!' she thought delightedly, and wanted to scream out loud, but refrained from doing so. She was still in disadvantage after all, even if she had managed to return his Dunk Smash.

They had won four games each, when Kimiko walked to the net. She was sweating badly, and had trouble catching her breath. Her legs felt numb and were about to give up on her, and she hurt all over. But she was happier than she had been in a very long while.

"It's enough, I can't go on," she said, and lifted her sore arm to shake hands with her classmate. "Thank you, Momo".

The boy took her hand and smiled widely. "It was a good game. We should play again sometime"

"Sure. Next time, I'll definitely win," she said with a grin, her usually bored-looking eyes shining in excitement.

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><p><strong><em>Words in Japanese<em>**

_Etto... is like 'Let's see...' or 'Um...'_

_Ano is used to ask for someone's attention (in this case)._

_Sempai - upperclassman_

_Sempai-tachi - plural of sempai_

_Kouhai - those who are younger than you, often used in schools or the work place_

_Kouhai-tachi - plural of kouhai_

_Yada - 'I don't want to do it'_

_Zettai yada - 'I definitely don't want to do it'_

_Konnichiwa - 'Hello'/'Good afternoon'_

_Desu means "to be". '(Watashi wa) Kimiko desu' is like 'I am Kimiko'_

_Yoroshiku (onegaishimazu) has many meanings depending on the context. In this case it's mostly a 'Nice to meet you', or 'please take care of me in the future'. It's more polite when onegaishimasu is added._

_Arigatou (gozaimasu) is a way of thanking someone. It's more polite when gozaimasu is added._

_Gomen (nasai) - I'm sorry_

_Ja/ Ja ne - see you later_

_Mada mada dane - The meaning literally means "No, not yet," but varies in similarity, with meanings that include "You still have a long way to go," "Not good enough" or "Still no good," and "It's not over yet." (Prince of Tennis Wikia)_

_Iie - no_

_Hai - yes (has other uses as well)_

_Ganbatte - used to encourage people. It means 'do your best' or 'good luck'._

**_Suffixes_**

_'-san' is the most polite of the three. It's mostly used for older people and equals._

_'-kun' is generally used for younger boys._

_'-chan' is generally used for younger girls or cute boys._

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><p><em>I promise it'll get more interesting soon, and the chapters will be longer as well.<em>


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